The Times of India

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo share once-in-a-lifetime World Cup coincidence that may never come again

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have reached a remarkable statistical symmetry at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with both stars recording an identical 20-year and 6-day gap between their first and latest tournament goals. Messi moved ahead as the all-time World Cup top scorer with 18 goals, while Ronaldo became the first player to score in six editions of the tournament.